Travel date: 2023/06/10
Sanyi Cloud Fire Dragon Festival (三義雲火龍)
Today, we visited Sanyi Township in Miaoli to witness a unique festival that is exclusively held in this town. The Sanyi Cloud Fire Dragon Festival (三義雲火龍) takes place every summer, but it had been put on hold for the past three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, it made a comeback!
When we arrived in Sanyi, we didn't have much information about the festival beforehand, so we weren't sure what to expect. The weather wasn't favorable, with cloudy skies and intermittent rain. I even considered skipping the festival. However, my husband knew how excited I was to come here (I had discovered the festival a month ago and marked it on his calendar), so he insisted that we still go.
The dragon parade started at 16:30 and lasted until 19:00, when the dragons reached their final destination. We arrived in Sanyi around 17:30, unaware of the exact route of the parade. We thought of waiting at the final spot, but before that, we went out to find some dinner. We ate at a shop, and although the food was good, we had to rush out when we realized that the parade was passing right by that road. I didn't even finish my meal and don't remember the name of the shop! I quickly joined the parade to witness their activities, while my husband and son joined me later.
Since this festival is not widely known, there weren't many people in attendance. Two dragons paraded down the street, performing dances and prayers along the way. They occasionally stopped, allowing people to take pictures with them. My son and I also took photos and videos with the dragons. The organizers were happy to see us participating (I only saw one other foreigner there).
At around 18:30, the dragon reached the final destination. Government officials gave speeches, and there was a short dance performance. The final ceremony took place at 19:00, during which incense was placed on the dragon. After the ceremony and prayers, the dragons departed. We were about to leave as well when we realized that we had left our umbrella at the restaurant where we had dined. My husband went back, but unfortunately, the umbrella was nowhere to be found. It seems that umbrellas have a tendency to disappear! However, don't worry about leaving other valuable items behind, such as phones, laptops, wallets, or even scooters with the keys in them. Taiwan is generally safe, and people are honest. We have forgotten our keys, phone, and wallet multiple times in the past, walked around for hours, and returned to find everything still there. So, it's quite safe in Taiwan.
See also: Bombing Dragon Festival
Check out my YouTube video
By the way, if you're interested in another dragon-related festival, I recommend visiting the Bombing Dragon Festival in Miaoli, which is a lantern festival tradition of the Hakka people. You can find more information about it in the post: Bombing Dragon Festival.
Sanyi, located in the southern part of Miaoli, is not only known for its wood sculptures but also as a Hakka settlement, with 94% of its residents being Hakka people. The town has preserved the Hakka traditional culture that has been passed down for generations, including the Cloud Fire Dragon Festival.
Since 2007, Sanyi's Shuangtan community has actively promoted this unique Hakka traditional folk custom, integrating it with local rural life and religious beliefs, and making the Sanyi Cloud Fire Dragon one of the distinctive dragon dance cultures among Hakka towns and villages in Taiwan.
The Hakka ancestors originally lived in the Central Plains of China. After they migrated overseas, certain rural folklore activities unique to the Hakka people, such as the "Straw Dragon" or the "Cloud Fire Dragon," gradually faded away. However, this Hakka cultural heritage with a history of over a thousand years somehow made its way to Taiwan from China about 400 years ago. Since then, this cultural tradition has been passed down from generation to generation within Taiwan's Hakka communities, and in recent years, it has become a festival in Sanyi Township, Miaoli County.
In the past, after harvesting their rice crops in the autumn, the Hakka people would weave giant straw dragons using straw knots, bundles, and bamboo chips. These dragons were placed at important intersections in the villages, and during the festival, prayers were offered to honor the Divine Agricultural Deity, Shennong, who is associated with the Five Grains. Incense sticks would be placed all over the straw dragon's body, and when lifted by the dancers during the dance, the dragon would be filled with the fragrance of golden incense. When seen from a distance, it appeared as if the dragon god was leaping in the clouds, thus earning the name "Cloud Fire Dragon."
This religious custom also gave rise to the Hakka people's unique traditions of welcoming the dragon, worshiping the dragon, parading with the dragon, dancing with the dragon, bidding farewell to the dragon, and burning the dragon. Parading the dragon symbolizes well wishes for the local neighborhoods and communities, praying for protection from epidemics and evil.
In the past, the Cloud Fire Dragon would go on two tours each year, with the "fire dragon" touring on the 12th day of the first lunar month and the "water dragon" going on its excursion during the Dragon Boat Festival in the summer. In recent years, these activities have merged into one annual Hakka festival.
The Cloud Fire Dragon embodies the wish for wind and rain to bring auspiciousness and prosperity. During the dragon's tour, it visits local neighborhoods, and every family prepares tea, wine, and eggs to share with relatives and friends as part of the festivities.
0 komentarze:
Post a Comment